(Halifax, Nova Scotia) A gay couple has been married at Canadian Forces Base Greenwood in what is believed to be the first gay wedding on any military base in North America.

The wedding was held last month but details first emerged Tuesday.

Lt.-Cmdr. David Greenwood, the base's head chaplain, declined to identify the couple saying he did not have permission from the men to release their names. But, he told 365Gay.com that one was a sergeant and the other a warrant officer.
The wedding was held May 3 with about 45 guests attending.

Greenwood, an Anglican clergyman, said that because his faith does not permit priests to perform gay marriages he arranged for a United Church of Canada minister to conduct the rite. Greenwood also said that he made all the arrangements for the service and was permitted by his bishop to deliver the sermon.

"When I was young I too had a secret I tried to hid from my family because I found out I was fundamentally different from my brothers and sisters. I didn't like country music. I like classical music," he said in the sermon.

But, he said there was one country star he did like - Mini Pearl, the comedian who told stories about her hometown in the hills and who always wore a big hat with the price tag still hanging from it.

At that point in the sermon, Greenwood told 365Gay.com, he pulled out a big hat with a price tag on it on put it on his head to laughter from the congregation.

"It made me think all this week about tags and how we try to put moral tags on people," his sermon continued.

At that point he tore off the tag from the hat.

Greenwood said that although the ceremony was low key there wasn't a dry eye in the base chapel when the couple signed the marriage documents.

The Canadian Forces in January approved a policy that calls on military chaplains to formally bless same-sex marriages or in cases where their religions do not permit them to marry gay couples to arrange an appropriate substitute pastor. (story) The policy also restricts gay weddings to bases in areas where same-sex marriage is legal.